1. Jack-in-the-Box Pre-school Nursery
Transitions Booklet

2. Transition Arrangements
Children may join Jack-in-the-Box at any time during the school year (if there are spaces) from aged 2 years old.
Jack-in-the-Box offers the following sessions:
Session Times
Session
8.00am to 9.00am
Breakfast
9.00am to 12.00noon
Morning
9.00amto 2.30pm
Partial Day
9.00am to 3.30pm
School Day
8.00am to 3.30pm
Full Day
12.00noonto 12.30pm
Lunch

3. Transition Arrangements
All children, irrespective of when they start, attend at least one settle session before places are confirmed.
This enables us to ensure that Jack-in-the-Box is able to offer appropriate provision for children wishing to enrol with us.
In the event that that we are unable to offer children a place at Jack-in-the-Box any Registration Fees and Deposits already paid will be refunded.

4. Transition Arrangements
New starter packs are issued and it is helpful if these are completed ready for a child’s first session.
As the majority of children join Jack-in-the-Box in September we hold at least one stay and play session during which children can visit the setting with their parents and have an opportunity to play, try a snack and a drink and re-familiarise themselves with the building and its facilities.
After the stay and play sessions new children are phased in using a graduated entry process based on children’s dates of birth and we try to ensure that no more than four new children start on any one day.
Children who join Jack-in-the-Box after the September intake are offered the opportunity to attend a stay and play session with parents before starting.

5. Transition Arrangements
If parents are aware that their child may experience some difficulties settling-in at Jack-in-the-Box we will work with them to devise a mutually agreeable settling-in plan.
Parents may stay with their children for as many sessions or part sessions as they think they need to during the first half term to aid their child’s settling-in (unless a personalised settling-in-plan has been drawn up with alternative arrangements).
Each family is assigned a Keyperson who acts as a first point of contact and it is the Keyperson who will take responsibility for keeping their assigned children’s learning journeys up to date.
We recognise that children will form attachments with staff who are not their Keyperson and therefore children are not grouped by key groups within the setting.

6. Transition Arrangements
Children (except those attending a morning session) have lunch at Jack-in-the-Box and our lunch break is approximately 11.45am to 12.45pm.
Children attending our Breakfast session have a breakfast and children attending our School Day and Full Day sessions are offered a snack.
Children are required to bring a named water bottle to enable them to access fresh drinking water during the session.
We recommend that children come in old clothes that you do not mind getting dirty. All children are required to have a named pair of wellies and a named sun hat which are kept at the setting.
We recommend that children’s clothes, particularly their outdoor clothes, are labelled with their name.
We hold a limited stock of hard wearing Jack-in-the-Box T-shirts and sweatshirts which are available for purchase.

7. On your way in you might see the Jack-in-the-Box sign.
The church hall is to the right of the church. There is some parking available; however we would ask that the parking restrictions are respected.

8. When you come into the entrance porch your name card will usually be hung up for you to find on one of the low pegs.
You might also see photos of the children who come to Jack-in-the-Box playing on the TV.
The toilets are in the entrance porch and there is a notice board and a table with information for your parents.

9. When you come into the hall you can put your name card on the table so that we know that you are in.

10. If you have brought in anything to show for the letter sound or the topic theme you can put them on the tables with the display boards.

11. You can then choose what you want to play with and who you want to play with.
Sometimes there will be a doctor’s surgery and other times there will be a cafe or even a shop.

12. Most days there is dressing up clothes and hats and bags to play with.
There are usually some small world play toys such as a dolls house or a garage and some cars.

13. Duplo
Gears
There are usually some building toys out such as the Gears, the Click and the Duplo.
Click

14. There is painting or sticking and glueing or modelling for you to do.
And there are activities for you to try out mark making.

15. We also have some technology activities for you to try such as the laptop and Beebot.
There is also a place for you to sit or lie comfortably and look at some books or to have a story read to you by a grown up.

16. Outdoors there are other activities for you such as playing in the sandpit, doing some gardening in the allotment, playing on the trikes and climbing frame or with the rocker or sometimes just enjoying being outside rather than indoors.

17. At 11.45am we stop for lunch. Lunch comprises a range of fresh fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates, protein and a dessert such as fromage fraise, jelly or rice pudding. Milk and water are offered as drinks during our lunch break; however children have access to drinking water throughout the session. Parents are required to provide their children with a named drinking bottle to facilitate this.

18. During the day we will also stop our play for songs and stories.

19. At the end of a child’s session children are collected by their Mummies or Daddies or the person Mummy or Daddy has said may collect them with any artwork, letters or notices that are being given out.